Gui zhi qu shao yao jia fu zi tang
gui zhi 9 sheng jiang 9 da zao 9 zhi gan cao 6 fu zi 9
When the pulse is faint and there is aversion to cold, gui zhi qu shao yao jia fu zi tang governs.
This is an obvious modified version of gui zhi tang but the bai shao has been removed and fu zi added. This shifts the focus of the formula to one of yang tonifiying and then shao yin.
Gui zhi, Cinnamomi cassiae ramulus is pungent sweet and warm dispersing of the imperial and ministerial fire. It warms and tonifies the shao yin and jue yin. In doing so it warms and tonifies the whole body.
Gui zhi is the emperor because it warms the Wood to stir the imperial Fire. It warms the blood which tonifies the heart yang.
Sheng jiang, Zingiberis rhizoma recens is pungent dispersing of the liver and pericardium blood and the ministerial fire in the san jiao. Sheng jiang is pungent dispersing of dampness and cold in the stomach domain, spleen and lung. Sheng jiang is pungent connecting of the tai yin with the tai yang. It supports raising of the clear qi to the chest and the 100 vessels.
Da zao, Jujubae fructus is sweet tonifying and moderating. It tonifies and nourishes the stomach domain, spleen, lungs, and heart. It directly nourishes the shao yin heart.
Gui zhi, da zao and zhi gan cao tonify and nourish the heart. Da zao calms excessive movement of Wood wind.
Zhi gan cao, Glycyrrhizae radix prep is sweet tonifying and nourishing of all organs but especially the heart.
Zhi gan cao is sweet and mildly warm tonifying and nourishing of yin fluids. It nourishes yin fluids in the tai yin and shao yin. It calms wind in the jue yin.
The sweet taste of zhi gan cao moderates and so adds balance to other herbs such as pungent gui zhi, sheng jiang and fu zi by anchoring its dispersing nature.
Fu zi, Aconiti radix lateralis praeparata is pungent dispersing of liver blood and the ministerial fire in the san jiao. It is pungent dispersing of the heart and kidneys. It is pungent dispersing of the tai yang channels. It is pungent dispersing of excess water.
Gui zhi and fu zi are the emperors. Gui zhi rules without causing unrest. Fu zi rules with might and action. Gui zhi nourishes and fu zi does not. Fu zi disperses more than gui zhi and needs to be controlled. Gui zhi warms the tai yang bladder to warm the shao yin kidney water.
It warms the original qi of the kidneys and the gathering qi of the lungs and heart. Fu zi infuses the body with fire and promotes water metabolism through the descent of fire into the water reservoirs of the body to draw qi from the body.